M.S. in Counseling Psychology Program Mission Statement
The Counseling Psychology Program at The University of Baltimore (UBalt) adheres to a generalist training philosophy that is rooted in the scientist-practitioner model of training. The program is designed for students who are interested in becoming licensed mental health counselors, as well as those interested in doctoral work in the helping professions. Flexible curriculum offerings aim to support students who enter the program directly from undergraduate work, career changers, and working adults. The program prepares students for practice in multidisciplinary clinical settings such as hospital- and community-based mental health, private practice, school-based mental health, and substance abuse treatment facilities. Students prepare to provide a range of clinical and advocacy services in the counseling profession. The program focuses on education in professional identity and ethics, and contextual factors in developmental, vocational, educational, social, health, and mental health issues.
The curriculum emphasizes research and theory as they inform evidence-based practice, integrative theoretical treatment conceptualization, assessment and advanced treatment interventions. The common factors model is embedded in the program’s clinical curriculum, emphasizing the importance of therapeutic relationships and strengths-based counseling interventions. The program infuses multicultural and social justice advocacy awareness in all coursework.
The faculty emphasize self-awareness and self-reflection as a cornerstone of effective clinical practice. Students are challenged to enhance their professional development through self-reflection exercises embedded in coursework and by engaging in interpersonally-oriented instruction and supervision. Students are guided to understand their own cultural biases and lenses as well as the inherent cultural/contextual nature of counseling work. The program requires experiential clinical training exercises in many courses, in addition to practice and internship requirements.